Quarter Life Crisis
by jessicarocket
Summary: Jessie and James tackle a milestone that neither is quite ready for.


Hi! I've been in a huge rut lately and can't seem to find any drive to finish the WIPs I have either half-written or outlined, but I was struck with an idea and decided to write a little ficlet in one sitting without any planning or outlining at all. So, here it is! I know it's short, but please let me know what you think! Reviews keep me going.

Hopefully there will be more to come soon!

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James' face hovered inches from the mirror, closely inspecting each detail of the face staring back at him through the glass, slightly streaked from a lack of cleaning. Bare hands lifted to smooth over his lavender locks one final time as a satisfied grin tugged at his lips. He was pleased to see his hair in its preferred state: sleek and shiny, perfectly parted to frame his face evenly on both sides, and not a strand out of place save for the bit of fringe that hung above his nose. But that was intentional, of course. A bold fashion statement, and one that had previously driven his parents and ex-fiance mad.

With another quick visual sweep of the end-product of his daily primping routine, his grin faded as something unusual caught his eye. A strand of something that appeared wiry and almost translucent in its lack of color protruded from the top of his head.

With a shrug, he thought, Must be a thread from my uniform. Wonder how that that got up there?

Two fingers reached to grasp the rogue thread, but James' confusion only deepened as a swift tug revealed the other end of this thing was attached firmly to his scalp.

"It… it can't be! NO!" His outburst was punctuated with a pained shriek that reverberated between the walls of the cabin's tiny bathroom. He sank to the floor with dramatic flair, hands gripping fistfuls of the hair that had been carefully perfected just moments before.

Jessie, who had been at his side sharing the scant mirror for her own beauty routine, gazed down at the mangled heap of her partner on the floor. With a raised eyebrow, she regarded him with equal parts concern and amusement. She was more than accustomed to how openly James emoted, but this was over-the-top, even for him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, James?"

"Th-this." A sob escaped his throat as he released one fist from his hair to point at the crown of his head.

Jessie's amusement began to morph into irritation as she was unable to discern what her partner could possibly be trying to draw her attention to. With a furrow of her brows and purse of her lips, she squatted in hope that a closer look would answer the question that James was clearly unable.

And it did. As Jessie's face hovered above his head, she quickly spotted the source of his theatrics. A single hair stood proudly on end, silver and kinked in contrast to the cascade of smooth lavender beneath it.

Her amusement returned in full force.

"Honestly, James? It's just one grey hair. It's not that big of a deal."

For the first time since his meltdown began, James tilted his face toward her. His eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears, and the sight tugged at Jessie's heartstrings in a way she loathed to acknowledge.

"But… but I'm too young for this. This isn't supposed to happen yet. I… my youth. It's already fading!" His voice cracked as he dissolved into another fit of heavy sobs.

Without warning, Jessie's slim fingers gripped the offending hair and tugged firmly, removing it from the grips of James' scalp. His sobs were suddenly replaced with a yelp, elicited by surprise as much as it was pain.

He turned to face her again. "Wha… what was that for?"

"I got rid of the problem. It's gone. You look as youthful as ever, so need for any more tears, right?"

The tenderness in her voice surprised James, as did the softness of her expression, almost maternal in nature, as she smoothed his tousled hair back into place from their position on the bathroom floor. James felt heat build in his cheeks as he stared into sapphire orbs, too warm and inviting for him to look away.

And then she smiled. James felt as though a herd of butterfree was drifting around his stomach, a sensation that was only amplified as she gently brushed her fingers across his cheeks, drying the last remnants of tears.

"There! All better!" James swore her saw a glowing halo above her head as she stood and extended a hand to help him up. He could only manage a weak "thank you," in reply, feeling as though he was caught in a trance.

The trance was effectively broken as Jessie abruptly turned back toward the mirror and picked up where she had left off.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need room to finish my own hair. I won't have my record of flawless wanted posters ruined today!"

"Of course, Jess." James smiled as he hugged her from behind briefly before exiting the cramped bathroom.

Jessie noted the redness in her cheeks and flutter in her stomach as she shook her head firmly. We have no time for this brand of nonsense!

Thankfully, her makeup was flawless and the blush in her cheeks only served to amplify her beauty. As she set her attentions back to smoothing her long, magenta mane into its signature coif and spiral, something in the corner of her eye broke her focus. Something wiry and almost translucent in its lack of color protruded from her hairline. As she reached for the offending thread to remove it, she was horrified to find it was attached to her scalp.

A pained shriek strained her throat as she sank to the floor in a familiar fashion. James was at the door in a flash, fear gripping him as every worst-case scenario had already raced through his mind.

"J-Jessie?! What's wrong?!"

Whe could only sob in reply as she lifted a finger to point to her head. Somehow, despite the fact that he couldn't see exactly what she was pointing to, he instinctively understood the problem.

He smiled, empathy filling his voice with warmth. "You too, huh? It's ok, Jess. We'll tackle this together."

He sank to the floor and embraced her, pleasantly surprised to find her arms winding around him in return only a fraction of a second later. They remained in that position, savoring the warmth of the embrace as their foreheads pressed against one another.

James lifted his forehead from hers without warning, and before Jessie could react, she felt a twinge of pain tug at her scalp.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"I got rid of the problem. And you look just as youthful and beautiful as ever, Jess."

Hearing her own comforting words repeated back to her by her closest companion as his emerald eyes gazed so adoringly into her own sparked an overwhelming sensation in Jessie. One she had never expected to feel toward this particular person. And yet, maybe she had expected it all along?

She was relieved when he pressed his forehead against hers again, grateful that any sign of her swirling emotions could remain hidden for now. For now, all the mattered was the feeling of her partner's arms around her and the sense that there was nothing they couldn't handle together.


End file.
